President Bola Tinubu challenged newly decorated military chiefs on Thursday to take quick action against growing security challenges, saying that “new snakes must be smashed right in the head before they grow.”
Speaking at the Council Chamber of the State House in Abuja, where the four security chiefs received their ranks, the president stated that their appointment “marks the beginning of a renewed effort to ensure peace and security for all Nigerians.”
“Today’s ceremony is beyond the symbolism of decoration. It marks the beginning of our renewed effort to ensure the peace and security of all Nigerians.
“Each of you has been carefully selected for this critical task. Security is an essential element without which everything else is rendered meaningless.
“Our people and our nation must remain secure to enjoy the benefits of governance,” Tinubu said.
At the ceremony attended by Vice-President Kashim Shettima, senior government officials, and the spouses of the officers, who were all dressed in their respective force uniforms, the President conferred ranks on General Olufemi Oluyede (Chief of Defence Staff), Lieutenant-General Wahidi Shuaib (Chief of Army Staff), Air Marshal Kennedy Aneke (Chief of Air Staff), and Vice Admiral Idi Abbas (Chief of Naval Staff).
Thursday’s ceremony followed the Senate’s confirmation of the nominees a day earlier after a two-hour closed-door screening.
Speaking to Shuaib, who sustained injuries during previous counter-insurgency operations in the Northeast, Tinubu commended the officers for their courage and teamwork.
“To General Shuaib, I understand you were injured; you recuperated. I saw many stories and clips online of Operation Hadin-Kai. All of you, working together as a team, have made the country proud,” he said.
The president thanked the military for regaining terrorist-held territory and rescuing many abducted people but vowed that the government would not back down until peace was entirely restored.
“However, challenges remain. Security threats are constantly evolving and mutating.
“Of grave concern is the recent emergence of new armed groups in the North-Central, North-West, and parts of the South.
“We must not allow these threats to fester,” Tinubu warned.
He urged the new service chiefs to be decisive and proactive.
“Let us smash the new snakes right in the head. Nigerians expect results, not excuses. We are in a hurry to celebrate peace,” he affirmed.
He charged the military leaders to embrace innovation, intelligence sharing, and technology-driven operations, assuring them of his administration’s full backing.
“Be innovative, preemptive, and courageous. Deploy technology where necessary.
“We cannot allow the crisis that began in 2009 to persist any longer. It is time to defeat the enemies,” he said.
Tinubu challenged service chiefs to efficiently communicate information and follow up on it.
He said, “Work with other security agencies to defeat this enemy once and for all. We need to clean them up and clear them out. I promise to provide all the support you need to get the job done.”
Tinubu also emphasized the military’s position as the “shield of the nation,” encouraging them to maintain patriotism and discipline while protecting Nigeria’s sovereignty.
“Our military has remained steadfast in defending our territorial integrity. In dark times, when terrorists and armed marauders held significant portions of our land, our gallant armed forces rose to the challenge and reclaimed those occupied territories.
“I sincerely appreciate your sacrifices as your Commander-in-Chief. I have repeatedly acknowledged them, and I will continue to do so,” he said.
The decoration comes only a week after the president’s second significant reorganization of the armed forces since taking office.
The presidency had denied rumors linking the change to an alleged coup attempt, maintaining that it was aimed at “injecting new direction” into the security architecture.
